The Stars Shine Brightly
by Pozagee
Summary: After his father's betrayal Prince Hydron starts to loose his sanity. And yet, he still has one goal. Defeat Zenoheld. But how can he accomplish this nearly impossible task? Should he trust the Brawlers, and become good? Or will the loyalty to the very one he needs to defeat, win? And the other Brawlers, that are having problems of their own? All characters present. Hydron centric.
1. Prologue

My Dear reader, I am glad you have chosen to partake in this voyage with me—though I must warn you: This is a dangerous journey, filled with action, romance, friendship, and hardships.

This excursion, you ask? It is merely the story of one boy and the people in his life.

One very important group of said people, were known as the Vexos.

The relationships between each of the Vexos was very complicated. Some were friends, some sought to be involved romantically, some just hung out for the sake of it, and some hated each other.

Lync was the youngest member, but not the weakest (of which he reminded everyone frequently). Mylene found him annoying, as did King Zenoheld and Professor Clay. Shadow had little interaction with him, but they got along. He was not to fond of Spectra and Gus, but he was, however good friends with Volt.

Volt was calm, silent, and protective, though none knew his reasons. He got along with everyone, most of the time up until his demise. Except for Gus. Gus had done Brontes a great wrong.

Spectra was a mysterious figure whom none trusted, with the exception of Zenoheld, his father (sometimes), and his ever-devoted friend Gus.

Mylene was thought to be cold-hearted, but she worried about her teammates; namely Volt. Shadow ended up being a close friend and ally, especially after Lync's and Volt's deaths. Their relationship may have even escalated into more, eventually...

Shadow was annoying, even more so than Lync. He had odd habits and quirks, and also seemed like a child sometimes. However, he basically got along with everyone.

Gus was more of a drifter, though he was best friends with Spectra.

Despite the fact that they had mixed feelings about each other, they were protective as siblings would be. They didn't like each other, but they cared—if that makes any sense.

However, there was one member of the Vexos that had hatred for him across the board. You guessed it: The boy. The boy this story is about.

To them, he was an arrogant, self-obsessed, and a mediocre Brawler (though none had seen him brawl before he joined their team). He also always acted like he had powers far beyond what he actually possessed, which annoyed everyone greatly.

The boy was delusional, however. He thought of them as allies, or protectors, despite the signs that pointed otherwise.

However, if any one of them showed signs of betraying his father (who just so happened to be King Zenoheld, and the leader of the Vexos), he immediately turned on them. Despite his deep (VERY deep) down wish that the other Vexos would accept (maybe even LIKE) him, his father came first.

This was because of the fear and respect that he held in Zenoheld. Also the love. Despite the cruel and insaneness within the mad King, Zenoheld HAD raised the boy.

So of course he would do whatever his father asked! The boy was seen an annoyance, a creep, and an arrogant fool by his 'friends' and enemies, true enough.

He was no hero, no knight in shining armor; in fact, he was the exact opposite.

The boy was greedy, selfish, and occasionally cruel. He was the type to fight against the heroes, rather than with them. He had no friends, only people that were practically forced to be around him. He had no mother, though he knew not why. His father was cruel towards him, borderline abusive, sometimes.

The boy didn't know how to express his emotions; no one ever taught him. He was, however, taught that friendships were to be pushed aside in favor of power and glory. He was taught that sentiment was for weak fools. He was also taught that he was a failure—that he would never amount to anything...

The boy wasn't poor, or deprived in those ways. In fact, he was rich; a prince. But that was beside the point; he had no one who cared, not really. He felt alone, felt like something was tearing him apart from the inside... But he couldn't cry (had he ever cried?), and he couldn't talk to anyone (no one was there, anyhow). So he turned cruel. He turned manipulative. Possessive. Angry. Mean. Arrogant. Bitter.

But when it came to King Zenoheld, the blond was nothing but a lapdog, following his master around and doing whatever he asked, despite the kicks he got in return.

Then one day, Zenoheld kicked too hard.

And the boy decided to bite back.

His name was Hydron, Prince Hydron of Vestal. And this is the story of how he, the evil villain, turned good.

_**A/N Thank You for reading the first chapter! I have most of this typed out, and will try to update once a week. This idea just wouldn't leave my head! In case you're wondering, most of your favorite characters from the first two seasons will be in here! I'm having mostly cannon pairings, unless you want me to stick Hydron with someone, towards the end... Anyway, I'm trying to keep everyone in character, so if I don't, please inform me. I am a bit of a villain sympathizer, so if I make Hydron too nice or good right away, just tell me, and I'll get him fixed up. XD And also! Most chapters will be longer than this. Just saying.**_

_**Anyway, Please Review!**_


	2. Chapter 1

_One by one, they were ending. _

_Spectra gone._

_Gus gone. _

_Volt gone. _

_Lync gone. _

_And now two more joined. _

_Mylene gone. _

_Shadow gone. _

_Hydron was left alone._

_Who could protect him now?_

**_(\/) Hydron's room in the Palace (\/)_**

Hydron sat on the comfortable sofa in his room, idly twirling a lock of his hair; the only outward sign of his nervousness.

Mylene and Shadow were on a very important mission, leaving him here, alone. It was at times like these that he regretted sending Volt and Lync away. Volt had been... not as much a friend, as a protector; a rock. Lync had been an annoyance, but an almost friend—they had been closest.

_'Friends. Sentiment_,' the voice in his head sneered. Hydron knew that there was no time for such frivolous things and emotions. He had a job to do.

'_Not that I want to do it-' 'Stop it! Father only wants what's best!'_

Thoughts of his father made Hydron feeling unsure of himself, though he didn't want to admit it.

The man had used to think highly of him, or so it seemed... But recently, the man had done little else but degrade him, hurting him both mentally and physically.

_'Volt...'_ Oh, how he missed his protector. _'Why was I so rude and mean to him before?! Why did father send me after him?! Why did I have to banish him away where he couldn't protect me?!'_

Volt had been a protector over them all; he HAD been the oldest and strongest. They all protected each other, though Hydron often felt alienated. '_Of course, should anything go wrong, with _ANYTHING_, I would be first to be blamed.'_Hydron often pushed the blame onto somebody else, though with good reason: His father wouldn't lay hand against _them_. A stern talking to, sure, but nothing compared to how HE would be punished. Mylene would often accept the blame, though she'd make him pay later. The others would argue back. Volt, however, would bow his head, and wait. That's why Hydron liked Volt, and why he had to get rid of him. _'Wait, was that the reason? Did father send me? Did I even go? Is Volt even gone? If I were to walk down the hall to his room, would he be in there, acting normal?'_

He shook his head slightly.

Thoughts of how Lync, the boy he (kind of) normally (sort of) got along with, cruelly mocked him and made him hurt, entered his mind.

Why did everyone have to do this to him?

Hydron's face, throughout the entire internal debate stayed as stoic as ever. His eyes rested on Dryoid. The Brawler's Bakugan talked to them when they were upset. It was at times like these he wanted something... similar to that. _'Perhaps I should force Clay to make some altercations...but the idiot would wonder why. He would surely go to father about this, complaining about me giving him 'inane tasks' to do, instead of working on the bloody Alternative and the bloody 'Phantom Data'.'_

_'What am I thinking?!_' he questioned himself. Even his thoughts were turning sentimental on him. He was a Bakugan Battler! A Vestal. An important member of the Vexos. He had no time for petty emotions-

_'Bloody hell. I'm thinking in circles,_' he shook his head to clear it, hoping he wasn't going insane, but knowing he was on his way there.

A voice jolted him out of his thoughts: "King Zenoheld requests your presence."

Hydron blinked. "Why? What's the problem?" he questioned, voice level.

**_(\/) Throne Room (\/)_**

The boy stood tall, face blank, before his father. His hair seemed more tame, and he had his usual brown fur overcoat on. All and all, he seemed far more put-together, mentally as well as physically.

"The last of your teammates have disappeared," the King stated, without preamble.

Hydron's heart skipped a beat. "What?! How?!"

"I can only imagine that the brawlers are behind it," he older man mused. "No thanks to you."

Hydron's brow crinkled in confusion. "Huh?"

"They must have been expecting our arrival-" Hydron was starting to worry, for he recognized this tone of voice: The slightly louder volume, the more raspier, harsher musings... It spelled trouble. "-which suggests, that they are in possession of, or have knowledge of the data you failed to destroy."

Hydron gasped, eyes going wide. This was going downhill fast! _'Those stupid brawlers are going to be the death of me...and with how my father is acting, they may very well be...'_

"Once again, you've _FAILED_me, Hydron!"

'_Nonononono!' He couldn't fail again! The last time...'_Hydron shuddered at the memory, of his father holding tight to his collar, dangling him far off the ground, leaving bruises... _'No! I can't be the one to take the blame!'_

Just as these thoughts rocketed across his brain, another train more concerned about this war going on with the Resistance charged forward, knocking a gasp out of him. _'Lync! Of course! That stupid traitor that hurt-that betr-that was causing them to fail!'_

"Must have been Lync," he confirmed aloud. Yes, that sounded right.

"I don't think you understand how unhappy I am!" Zenoheld growled, getting annoyed at his son's lack of response.

Hydron almost snapped, "When aren't you unhappy?!" but thought better of it. He was no longer of royal status (not that he could talk to his father when he _WAS_ an actual prince...), therefore it was best not to push his luck too far.

He held up his hands disarmingly to placate the angry royal. "Relax; this wasn't my fault. It was that traitor Lync...but I'll take care of it." The Hydron that everyone knew (not the one that hid in the dark depths of his subconscious), seemed to come back.

Zenoheld's eye twitched. _'Oh no. I made a wrong move_-'

"No more chances for you!" Zenoheld yelled, standing up. The air seemed to crackle with electricity. "You must learn that failure has consequences!"

Zenoheld tilted his head slightly, looking behind Hydron. Hearing the soft clicking of boots he turned, gasping as he did. The electricity in the room...he had found it's source.

_'No. No. No. Somebody! Protect me!_'

It floated in between the two men, it's mechanical arms clenching and unclenching.

_'Please. I don't care who, jut take me away from this nightmare!_'

"Since my words have failed to inspire you," Zenoheld continued, "perhaps some time with **_'The Agonizer'_** will give you the necessary motivation."

The man let himself relax back into his throne, watching as his son shook, whimpering, eyes darting around for an escape, a rescuer,_ANYTHING._

"I assure you, your suffering will only be a fraction of what you've cost me," he finished his rant.

Hydron's shaking was even more pronounced now, as the machine was but a hairbreadth away. The whimpers had grown in volume, until they reached an all-out scream.

"_NOOOOOO_!" Hydron screamed, as he was plunged into agony.

**_(\/) Hydron's room in the palace (\/)_**

Hydron felt weak in the knees, as he shuffled back to his room. He felt as though someone had set fire to his blood and hit him with the force of Dryoid. His eyes were downcast, and scarily devoid of life. His skin was pale, nearly white, despite the bruises that marred his face. Breathing was difficult, and his mouth felt dry.

The boy with the light blond hair let himself collapse sideways on his bed, paying no mind to the ripped clothes, nor his ill state. Fear and pain overwhelmed him, as memories came flooding back: The initial fear of the hated machine being used on him, his father sitting there just watching as he writhed in pain...

"Father... But why...?" he rasped, turning his pounding head to the side, eyes sliding shut...

_"This isn't over, Hydron!" Volt was shouting, as he sunk downward into the portal. "I promise; ONE day you will pay for all the pain and misery you've wrought upon the innocence of the WORLD!" Hydron watched in dawning horror and fear, as the last of Volt's reddish hair disappeared beneath the surface of the portal. Nonononono... He didn't want this... Whywhywhy?! His protector..._

_The scene shifted, as he reappeared in a clearing. Instead of Volt disappearing into the spiraling portal, there stood a short boy with wild pink hair, mocking him. _

_"Eliminating Volt? And then coming after me?" Lync shouted in his pre-puberty sounding voice. "You only do this because you're desperate for your father's approval!" _

_Hydron nearly flinched. It wasn't because of the one person in the Vexos he could remotely get along with was mocking him in the very way he knew it would hurt (it WASN'T!), but because he knew it was true... _

_"Ha ha!" Lync cackled, his face seeming for morph cruelly. "Hit a nerve?"_

_And there it was, the cause of his pain and fear: The Agonizer. Even now, he felt it's bruising grip, as it struck blow after electrocuting blow upon him. He felt his blood spilling, his skin darkening with bruises, his eyes blurring with unshed tears (tears? What are those), as the electricity pumped into his veins..._

_"STOP...PLEASE...NO MORE!" he heard himself scream, as he thrashed weakly. His eyes landed on his "father", who just looked down upon him, eyes saying one thing: "You deserve this and so much more..."_

_Hydron jerked upwards eyes wide, and breaths coming far quicker than they should. 'Focus on breathing... Come on, calm down,' he thought to himself, as he stared at the floor, chest heaving. He closed his eyes, leaning forward as dull pain echoed through his form. It felt as though his whole being had been zapped into mush, with how his insides sloshed around whenever he shifted slightly. A slight blush creeped onto his face, when he realized that sometime during the torture session, he had lost control of his bladder; a typical side effect of the hated machine. _

_'What was I punished for? I can't even remember!' The boy felt like passing out, and not waking up for a decade, at least. _

_A stray thought bubbled up in his brain, causing pain that was not entirely related to the Agonizer to blossom in his chest. 'Mylene... Shadow...' His last two teammates. Gone. He was alone._

_And that thought definitely scared him more than it should have..._

_No Gus, No Mylene, No Lync, No Shadow, and No Volt. Thoughts of Spectra tried to break through his fragile barrier, but he violently pushed them down. Still... he was alone. With his father, with Zenoheld... _

_He knew they didn't like him; he was thought of as his father's son. But he wasn't, not by a long-shot. Nor would he ever be. He was not cruel ('But what Volt said-'). He was not desperate for anyone's approval ('Father-'). And he was NOT weak ('stop... please... nomorenomoreNOMORE!')!_

_But they protected him, as much as they could. They knew how cruel the king could be..._

_Them being gone made him feel, raw, naked, exposed. His emotions were out of his control, on display for the world. _

_Hydron let out a long breath, trying to calm himself. No use getting riled up-_

_"Time to fight back," a deep and familiar voice echoed throughout the room. A name and face belonged to that voice... _

_'Volt!'_

_Hydron gasped, eyes bursting open. Sure enough, when he turned his head, there stood an apparition of Volt. _

_The young prince stood, the aching of his being taking a backseat to the shock that had overcome him instead. "Volt...?" he questioned hesitantly, seeming almost a mixture of scared and sad. _

_"You can't let him push you around anymore, Hydron," the Volt-ghost carried on, seemingly undaunted. _

_"He's right!" a new voice, a higher voice, the voice that mocked him, that hurthurtHURT spoke. Hydron whirled around to face Lync. "After all you've done for your father, he should be honoring, NOT tormenting you!"_

_"Lync..." Hydron whispered, shocked and confused. "How did you-"_

_The apparitions disappeared, only to reappear a split second later RIGHT in front of him! _

_"DESTROY HIM!" they spoke in unison. Hydron stumbled back a step, but it didn't do much good. Volt and Lync teleported closer still, causing Hydron to fall on his bed. _

_"TAKE THE THRONE FROM HIM!" Hydron breathed deeply, as his brain seemed to thump in time with his heart. _

_"DOWN WITH ZENOHELD! ALL HAIL PRINCE HYDRON!" the two Vexos shouted, with impossibly round eyes. _

_This wasn't right this wasn't right this WASN'T RIGHT!_

_No, he sent Volt and Lync away! He had to! He HAD to! 'Are they haunting me? Are they mocking me? No! They hate me! They think me the same as my father! They wish me dead! No, they wish me WORSE than dead!'_

_Hydron's breathing rate had increased again, as he gasped through his mouth, brow crinkled and damp with sweat. Whimpering sounds came unwittingly from the shivering boy, increasing in volume until he screamed. _

Hydron's eyes opened, and he finally felt as though he was awake, no longer drifting through nightmarish memories, apparitions of old friends (_'enemies, ENEMIES!_'), and dull, unsure pains. Here, he could control his thoughts. Here, there would be no Lync or Volt. Here, the pain was real, sharp, crisp, and breathtakingly_REAL_.

Yes, there certainly was a difference between the dream world, and this world. For here, he couldn't move an inch from his sprawled out position, without feeling as though heated knives were being plunged into his body.

But he needed to move. He needed to get up. For Lync, for Volt, for- _'No! No, they weren't here, they weren't real!' 'But you could do it, you know...rule New Vestroia instead of Zenoheld! You could make it THRIVE!_'

He slowly sat up, trying to ignore the pain and his churning innards.

"Oh man," he breathed, his voice throaty. He brought a hand up to his face. It quivered. "It was just a dream! ...Why am I shaking?"

But... What Volt and Lync said… Could he? Should he?_'I have to try.._.'

"Come on, now. Keep it together!" He stood, albeit slowly and shakily. When he finally got upright, he faltered, as dots danced in his vision... But prideful and stubborn as the boy was, he remained standing.

_'Right. If I am to battle father, I must change my clothes...and get _TO_ him..._'

He took a step. Then another. Then another. (Hydron was beginning to wonder how in all of Vestal he walked all the way to his room!)

His goal was the table, so he could get Dryoid, then change. Dryoid always made him feel more powerful, stronger...

But he never made it, instead collapsing to the floor, bringing the table and it's contents down with him.

Hydron groaned slightly, looking at Dryoid. "I-I am a-a force to be reckoned with!" he said, making his voice as strong as he could manage. "A mighty warrior! No one, not even _HE_ scares me!"

Hydron swallowed down the true fear of his father. He had to be strong and keep himself together, at least for now.

Anger flooded him, as his eyebrows creased. _'I _WILL_defeat him! If not for myself, then for the frien-allies I sent away!'_

"**_I'LL TAKE HIM DOWN_**!" he growled ferociously.

**_(\/) Professor Clay's lab (\/)_**

Professor Clay stood beside Zenoheld, as he read of Farbros' report.

"The repairs on Farbros are now complete, Sire," he said stoically, as they eyed the green projection of the monster mechanical. "And the data analysis to synchronize it with the Alternative is proceeding on schedule."

"Excellent," Zenoheld murmured. "Soon enough I will take my throne as Supreme Leader."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," came a confident, voice.

Zenoheld's jaw tightened, as his cheek muscle twitched. Clay whipped around, eyes wide. "Who's there?!" he demanded.

A card soared in, sticking in the ground. The thrower was obviously very angry.

Zenoheld turned around more slowly. "Unbelievable. So it's_YOU_ again."

There stood Hydron in all his glory. He hardly looked like someone who had just gone through excruciating torture; in fact, he looked as he normally did: Confident, clothes perfect, and a light smile on his lips. His eyes, however, glinted darkly with barely contained anger and drive.

"What is it now?" Zenoheld growled.

Hydron's gentle, innocent seeming smile turned into a full-out smirk. "Did I hear that Farbros is repaired? Fantastic timing. What do you say we take him for a spin? Want to,_DAD_?" he said with his normal imperial tone of voice, laced with sarcasm at the word dad.

"Are you challenging me to a battle, punk? Haven't you had enough punishment for one day?"

Hydron's eyes glittered with mirth, seeing his 'father' so riled up. "What? You're not afraid, are you?" He paused, but when he continued, his voice was slightly icier. "If I am really the loser you always have accused me of being, than I should be no trouble for you to beat."

Suddenly, the cool undertones turned fiery, his face contorting in infinite rage. "Why don't you step up to the plate? We'll see whose the better man!"

Zenoheld eyed his son stoically, despite his inner rage. However, a plan was forming. _'These mood swings..._' he thought, _'they are the insanity shining through the cracks of him. He's confused, he's scared, he's betrayed. The idiot, I thought I taught him better...imbecilic failure...but this loss of sanity will work to my advantage..._' Zenoheld internally smirked.

"Professor Clay."

"Yes sir," the man spoke hurriedly, before typing on the screens.

Seconds later, father and son were transported away to battle.

**_A/N Yes, 2900 words. You're welcome. Anywho, thank you to my followers, favoriters, readers, and one reviewer! You all rock! And I'm trying to make all the characters in character (of course, I'm copying their speaking parts right now directly from the show, but it will be AU). Of course, Hydron's mind is a bit jacked up, due to his waning sanity…_**

**_Anywho, review please!_**


	3. Chapter 2

_Time stands still_

_As I see you across me_

_Fighting me_

_The child you raised. _

**_(\/) Marucho's lab on Earth (\/)_**

Marucho stood over his monitors typing random sequences down. There was no real point for him to be doing this, seeing as everything was at a standstill, but he needed something to keep his mind occupied.

Baron was talking Dan's ear off, along with Ace and Shun's; they seemed to welcome the distraction, along with Marucho.

Mira sat a bit away from everyone, obviously upset. Julie and Runo were trying to comfort her, but that wasn't something they did very good; that was Alice's field of expertise.

"Hey, uh, we could, you know, watch a movie, or something!" Runo finally supplied, seeming desperate.

"Or we could do your hair! It looks a bit...wind blown," Julie tried, smiling with a fake smile. Mira just sighed, shaking her head.

"No, I feel like going for a walk. Alone," she added, seeing Julie about to object.

Keith watched as his sister walked out. When they had first returned, he had seemed shaken up, but now, the only outward sign of discomfort was his twitching hand. _'I had her...'_

Runo marched over to the others, distraught. "I can't talk to her! I hardly know her! Marucho, can you get ahold of Alice?"

"Sure," the blond said.

"Can you get her here? She knows much more about these types of things than me!"

Ace glanced up. "Do you really think that's a good idea? Her being around this...stressful situation?"

Julie immediately started ranting. "What? Do you think she's going to go all Masquerade on us? Huh? Huh? Because she got control of him, like, forever ago!"

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Not at all. I was just saying, the last thing we need is another battle so soon after this one...and you know, with her here, people are bound to get a little...high strung."

"If you are not more careful about what you say, there_WILL_ be a _battle._ _very. soon_," Shun warned, his face passive as ever, though.

Ace held up his hands. "I was merely stating my opinion."

Dan frowned deeply at him. "Great. Now that you've got that off your chest, anything else to add?"

Ace rolled his eyes, muttering things that sounded suspiciously like, "Can't say anything around here," and, "touchy touchy."

Marucho, however, was already trying to contact Alice. "Gah! She's not home right now!"

Runo sighed. "All right. Just make sure to try her again later."

Dan turned away from the others, lifting Drago up. "Things are getting really serious," the brunette stated the obvious.

"You think?" Drago asked sarcastically.

"Well, last year we just battled for fun, most of the time. Things only got serious when Masquerade was involved. But now...theres an alien planet, a mad ruler, dooms-day devises-people are dying!" Dan whispered, obviously more upset than he normally seemed.

"Calm down, Dan. You need to keep a level head."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm doing the best I can, all right?"

Drago nodded, nudging Dan's thumb in a small show of comfort.

Keith watched the exchange, before walking down the hall to his room. Each of them had received a room, and could do with it as they liked. Keith had chosen to keep his room as it was, should the need to leave there in a hurry arise.

He changed out of his battle-wear, into his normal Vestal clothing. When he glanced in the mirror, he almost grimaced at his hair; it had been badly blown around in the battle between them and Mylene and Shadow.

It was hard to think about them. Sure, they had been loyal to Zenoheld. And yes, they had had many disagreements, even when Keith had been Spectra. But still, he cared about them deeply. It seemed as though it physically hurt, to know they were dead.

A soft knock sounded on his door.

"Come in, Mira," he sighed. Sure enough, his fiery-haired sister slinked into the room. She bounced slightly, as she plopped on his bed.

They sat their silently for a few minutes, before Mira spoke. "Are they-are they dead? Shadow and Mylene?"

Keith sighed again. "Unfortunately, yes sister."

Mira made a choking noise. "I know I never liked them, but I never wanted them to die!" She swallowed thickly. "And we were right there..."

Despite Keith's own liver's guilt, he grabbed Mira, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Mira! It isn't our fault! It was out of our control! All right?"

Mira nodded hesitantly. "All right. I just wish-" Keith gave her a gentle, yet warning look. "Okay, okay."

Keith gave her an almost hesitant hug. "It's fine. I wish they were still here too." He pulled away, running a hand through his hair, awkwardly. "We can't change anything. Better not to dwell on the past, and focus on defeating Zenoheld and Hydron." _'And father_...'

**_(\/) Back in Marucho's lab (\/)_**

Runo and Julie sat by each other, looking worried. It wasn't like Alice to be away for so long. Especially since she had moved; what did she do for all that time in that barren land?

Ever since she had moved back to Russia, both girls had felt a large gap in their hearts that refused to be filled. Add that to the guys running off on some great mission, and the already painful hole—due to their missing Bakugan—and they had felt a profound sense of loneliness.

Julie was better dealing with it than Runo; she had other friends, other hobbies, and of course, shopping. Runo's only distraction had been the diner, but it was no longer fun anymore; not without her friends in the booths, Tigrerra on her shoulder, and Alice at her side.

She had tried reading, but kept getting distracted by worries of her friends. Sports were a bust, as well. Eventually she gave in, and allowed Julie to drag her all over the city.

And despite the fact that she and Julie had grown closer than they already were, there was no replacing Alice. Or Dan. Or Marucho, Shun, Joe, Chen, or any of them!

Anger still burned beneath her skin, at the thoughts of their abandonment; the row she had had with them was _NOTHING compared_ to what she _REALLY_ wanted to say!

And as for the new additions to the Brawlers, she was not a big fan. Ace was too much like Shun, only with out the calmness that he possessed. Baron was annoying, following Dan around like a sheep, or something. Keith was actually okay, despite the villainy part. But Mira irked her the most. Runo may have been able to hide it good, as she was comforting the girl (why was she comforting Mira, you ask? The chick had just seen two people she had known forever die, right in front of her eyes! Runo considered herself a lot of things [_that she was_], but heartless was not one of them!), but she was very jealous of the way the carrot-top behaved around Dan. The flirting was especially disgusting!

But, despite herself, she was indeed worried about her. After all, Dan did care about her, and she would do anything for Dan.

'NO! _I would _NOT_ do _ANYTHING_ for Dan! He's so stupid and annoying!_' her mind's voice lied.

While Runo had her internal debate, the boys (and Julie) were discussing recent events.

"Maybe it's a good thing they are gone..." Shun murmured, causing a few people to glare at him. The ninja (in training) held up his hands disarmingly. "No, don't think I wish death on people. I'm just saying that them dying means two less people to have to worry about breaking into our safe-house."

"And battling," Ace added. The others calmed down, lowering their shackles.

"All right, yeah. But with them gone, won't it just be Hydron? I mean, Zenoheld doesn't seem like the type of guy to want to get his hands dirty. And I don't even think that Professor Clay battles. Does he?" Dan inquired. The others shrugged

"Master Dan?" Baron inquired. Everyone looked at him, making his face turn red. "I-if I may make a suggestion."

"Uh, sure," Dan muttered, looking as red as Baron. Julie and Ace laughed into their hands, and Shun gave a small smile, at their friend's awkwardness.

"All right!" Baron said excitedly. "What if we get Hydron to team up with us? Then we won't _HAVE_ to worry about battling him!" Everyone frowned, and Baron quickly went to correct himself.

"I mean, yeah, he's a bad guy and all, and he's done horrible things-"

"He's _KILLED_ people!" Ace said seriously. "Or have you forgotten Volt and Lync so soon?"

Baron winced. "Keith did horrible things as Spectra, but he's reformed!" Shun's lips tightened, but he didn't comment.

Ace did, however. "How do we know for SURE he's reformed? That he's not being a spy?"

Marucho, who had been standing over by the computers (still frantically typing), turned, speaking up. "I once knew a girl who was evil, once she pulled her mask up. She reformed. She's one of the kindest and best people I have ever met, now." His eyes watered slightly, so he turned back to the monitors.

Drago spoke up. "I agree with Baron and Marucho. If she, who had been harboring the purest of evils within her, could reform, than Spectra can too." The other Bakugan murmured agreements.

Dan was quiet for a minute, before saying a gentle, "What Drago said."

Everyone's eyes turned to look at Julie and Shun, but only Julie was there. Shun had left the room, quietly.

"Er, speaking of which, Marucho? Have you tried Alice again?" Julie asked, awkwardly.

"Yeah. Still not home. I called Chen to ask her to go check on Dr. Michael's lab. If anything's wrong, she'll call us."

"Good," Dan said. Runo shook her head, coming out of her daze. Julie laughed, ruffling her hair.

"Welcome back, Runo!" she smiled. Dan and the others looked confused, but Runo returned Julie's smile.

"Marucho? Did you check to see if any gauntlets had been recently activated?" Julie enquired.

Marucho blinked, before typing in several sequences into the keyboard. A holographic screen appeared, showing lots of scrolling lines and dots. Pins seemed to appear, along with pictures of Brawlers, and (an almost scary amount of) information about them. The faces zoomed by at lightning fast speed, causing Baron (who had been trying to follow the process) to fall backwards, gripping his head.

Finally, Marucho sighed. "Nope, her gauntlet has been inactive since her battle with Shadow Prove."

Julie smiled. "That's a good thing...isn't it?"

Dan seemed to think about the question. It seemed like hard work. "It's good that she hasn't _HAD_ to battle anyone..."

"...but it's bad she hasn't been battling. You know, to totally get over the Masquerade thing," Runo finished his sentence, before both blushed._'Why do we always do that?!_' both screamed in their heads.

"As long as that creep stays locked away inside," Ace murmured, ignoring the glares.

Dan opened his mouth to (most likely) say something that would get himself a black eye, when he was interrupted by a scream.

"_AHHHHHH_!" Marucho yelped as, suddenly, his whole system sparked, sending electricity through his 'tech'. There was a flurry of footsteps, before Shun, Mira, and Keith burst in, glancing around wildly. When they caught sight of the smoking and obviously malfunctioning machines, they stood still, eyes wide. Dan and the others who had been sitting in the room, quickly scurried up, backing away. Baron scooped up all the Bakugan, holding them protectively.

"Marucho!" Dan shouted, lunging forward to drag the shorter boy backwards.

The computers sparked for about a minute, before giving off a huge explosion, and a bright lightning-bolt-like spark. By that time, the Brawlers had backed themselves into the hallway. With quick reflexes, Shun slammed the door shut mere seconds before the blast. Unfortunately, all the lights went out.

"Master Marukura?" an automated voice inquired. "Would you like me to switch on the back-up power?"

Baron opened his mouth, probably to ask how the robot was working without power, but Marucho interrupted, telling it, yes, they wanted power.

After a few long seconds, the lights came on again, revealing Runo to be clutching Dan, and Ace to be holding onto Mira, who was holding onto Keith. Ace blushed bright red, as Mira awkwardly looked at her brother. Dan and Runo were both red as tomatoes, as well.

"What happened?" Shun asked, calmly.

"I-I don't know!" the small genius shrieked in distress.

Keith glanced at the door, which had smoke curling around the gaps. "Shall we go inspect the damage?"

Ace reached for the doorknob, but Mira interrupted. "Do you think it's safe?"

"Only one way to find out!" Dan said, grabbing the grip, and pushing open.

Purple-tinted smoke poured from the mouth of the door, snaking around them. Cautiously, they shuffled into the lab, to find it...

Exactly how it had been? It made no sense! They had all heard the explosion! It sounded as if everything in the room had burst!

"I don't understand. What made that explosion and all the sparks?" Baron questioned.

Marucho made his way over to his 'tech'. None of it seemed to badly damaged; only a few trivial gadgets had been fried. But what had that been all about? And what of Baron's questions?

"Marucho? What's happening with the screen?" Runo asked, sounding worried. Marucho turned to look at the screen that they had been watching Keith and Mira's battle earlier on. It was static-y. When Marucho had _FOR SURE_turned it off earlier.

The boy cautiously approached his main computer. He had only punched in a few security codes, when the screen flared to life in vivid color.

"That is a Vexo training arena," Mira gasped, immediately recognizing the green field and swirling colors.

"But why is it appearing? HOW is it appearing?" Ace asked.

"It must be the Phantom Data. Both of us have it, so it must have made a link to the Mothership," Keith realized. "But why has the link just now made itself known?"

"Erg! Too many questions! Brain pain..." Dan yelled dramatically.

"Don't make me give you real_'brain pain'_," Runo said, holding her fist up threateningly.

"Hold on..." Marucho murmured, as he scrolled through some identification codes. "There! Professor Clay must have activated the Phantom Data on accident, while opening up the field!"

"Why would he open up the field? Who's battling?" Baron asked, right before the very people they were inquiring about appeared on the screen.

"Why are Hydron and Zenoheld battling?!" Julie exclaimed, as everyone shot each other confused looks.

**_A/N Hmm… well, that turned out interesting. I hope they were all in character… I mostly watched the first season, and brushed up a bit on season 2. But the third has too many people and stuff… it's just confusing! Anyway, sorry about the vagueness about the Bakugan, but I don't really know the personalities of the new ones, only that of the original six (and Wavern, of course). Was everyone mostly in character?_**

**_Please review!_**


	4. Chapter 3

_Watch me be fake. _

_Watch me lie. _

_Watch me break_

_Watch me die. _

**_(\/) Marucho's Lab, and the Battlefield (\/)_**

The Resistance stared at the screen.

"Are they practicing, or fighting for real?" Julie asked. Runo shrugged.

"They must be practicing. Hydron and Zenoheld are all buddy-buddy," Baron said, confidently.

Keith though looked unsure. Mira picked up on this. "Not necessarily. They actually fight all the time," she stated.

"But they're father and son!" Dan cried, oblivious.

"Shush! I'm trying to hear..." Shun said, seeming annoyed.

Sure enough, the Brawlers shut up.

Zenoheld spoke up. "I was never as proud and excited as I was the day you were born," was said seriously. Ace raised an eyebrow but kept his snide comments to himself.

"Unfortunately," the king continued, "you turned out to be nothing, but a disappointment to me. You are unworthy to be the heir to my throne!"

Most of the people looked around confused...that is, except for Shun, Mira, and Keith. They understood.

"Looks like daddy's little boy screwed up again," Ace murmured, and Baron nodded.

Zenoheld ripped off his over cloak, causing Dan to yelp, covering his eyes. Drago murmured something that sounded suspiciously like "immature".

"The failures in your life are a result of your inability to lead," Hydron said simply, giving a smirk.

"Strange," Mira murmured, glancing at her brother. The annoying boy that she had had to deal with on numerous occasions...he was acting different. She wasn't sure how, but there was just something there that wasn't there before. Keith seemed to notice it too.

The royals held up their wrists, before shouting, "Gauntlet: Powerstrike!"

The gauntlets glowed the colors that matched with their attributes, as normal, though it seemed more powerful; more intense. It was obvious that this was a very serious battle.

"Gate card: Set!" Hydron shouted, flinging it onto the field. It glowed orange, before expanding and disappearing.

"Bakugan brawl!" the boy shouted, flinging Dryoid into the field. "Bakugan stand! Go Subterra Dryoid!"

"He talks to it as if it can actually hear him," Drago murmured.

"Come Pyrus Farbros! Bakugan Brawl! Bakugan Stand!" Zenoheld rasped.

"Ability card activate!" Hydron stated.

"Ability card set," the mechanical voice spoke.

"Murasame Blade" Hydron declared. "Plus Fusion Ability activate: Shoo Dragonfly!" The boy smirked. "Not too bad, huh? You should give me a little more credit for my skills, father."

'_He keeps getting distracted by his father's acceptance of him. Though he started out good, if he keeps this up, it will be his downfall_,' Shun thought, amber eyes narrowed.

"Ability activate!" Zenoheld countered. "Ice Burst!"

"Not what I was expecting," Drago murmured. Ace nodded in agreement.

"That's not a very powerful attack," the Darkus Brawler agreed.

"What's he playing at...?" Keith wondered aloud.

"What's this?" Hydron smirked, though confusion shined in his eyes. It was unlike his father to actually have a strategy, especially one such as this. Zenoheld was flashy; he always wanted to show off. Hydron had been relying on that fault. "Are you saving your good stuff for later? Dryoid! Fusion ability activate!" he declared after Dryoid broke free of the ice. "Geki Dust Barrier!"

"Ability activate!" Zenoheld shouted. "'Fire Spartan'!"

"You have to do better than that." Hydron taunted after Dryoid cut through the flames. "Because I'll show you no mercy. And the throne will be mine soon."

"Not a chance!" Zenoheld glared.

"Ah, so it IS about the throne!" Mira exclaimed.

_'What did Zenoheld do?_' Keith internally questioned. Hydron was a lot of things, but disloyal he wasn't. He would do ANYTHING his father asked of him.

"Why does he all of the sudden want the throne?" Ace questioned, though shrugs were his only answer.

Runo, however, pieced something else together. "Does that mean whoever wins the battle is the new leader?!"

This caused everyone to stiffen, and stare more intensely at the battle. Zenoheld was bad, but would Hydron be worse? Or did this battle against his father mean that he was neutral, or even on their side?

"Ability Card, set," the mechanical voice spoke again.

"FARBAS XM activate!" Zenoheld yelled

"Repairing recovery system, activated," the mechanical voice announced. "Ability: Murasame Blade, Fusion Ability Level Two and Level Three, clear."

Farbros gave off a loud roar, that even caused the kids in the control room to slap hands over their ears

"Big deal," Hydron scoffed. "So Farbros is big and loud. But he's nothing I can't handle," was said confidently. "Gate Card open! Pyrus Spotting Out! This command card takes 500 points from any Pyrus Bakugan's Power Level." Hydron smiled a smile that could only be described as 'pure teenager.' "Deal with that."

"With pleasure." Zenoheld countered. "Ability activate!"

"Ability Card, set."

"Ground Breaker!" Zenoheld declared. "You'll never dethrone me."

"And I thought the wittle pwince was arrogant," Ace smirked, causing Mira to elbow him fondly.

"Now who's arrogant?" Hydron snorted, causing Ace to blanch. "Ability activate! Accel-Speed! This ability allows Dryoid to travel so fast that even Farbros' sensors can't detect him. Farbros isn't the only one who has upgrades. Fusion ability activate!"

_'Typical_,' Keith thought. _'Hydron always goes for being fast to run away, instead of fighting. With his fight or flight instincts, its always flight. The coward.'_

"Ability Card, set."

"Double Caliber!" Hydron roared. "Take him down!"

"Again, with the talking!" Drago muttered. The...thing didn't have a brain, let alone a soul, or anything to comprehend what he was saying. _'I have heard brawlers talk to their Bakugan, even if they don't talk back. But it was different, then. Bakugan were ALIVE!_'

"Zenoheld Life Force, 50%," the mechanical voice reported, causing both battlers and the Resistance to gape.

"Z-Zenoheld's Life Force...d-decreased?" Baron stuttered.

Keith stared at the screen in shock. "Impossible..."

"What was that you said about me not dethroning you, father?" Hydron taunted. "Maybe you started taking me seriously as a Battler and a man."

Shun shook his head. There it was again. _'The idiot. He's like a child, still craving affection and acceptance_.'

"What a joke." Zenoheld must have realized what this was all about, for his next statement stunned them all. "If you were truly serious about wanting to succeed me, you wouldn't be so desperate for my approval. You shouldn't care what I think of you. But you do, and that's why you won't succeed."

Hydron's facade cracked for a second, showing how wounded he felt at that. His violet eyes screamed, _'You don't care what I think? You think I shouldn't care? Why? Please, just tell me..._' Only a few (who were truly looking), saw this, however.

"The only thing I care about is seeing the humiliation on your face when you lose!" Hydron snapped, mask back up.

Shun, who had noticed the boy's earlier emotions, frowned more deeply. Hydron reminded him a lot—too much—of Masquerade.

"Gate Card, set!" Zenoheld continued the battle. "Come on, Farbros! Bakugan Brawl! Bakugan, stand!"

"Bakugan Brawl!" Hydron shouted. "Bakugan, stand! You think I can't be stone-cold too?" He smirked. "Ability activate! Murasame Blade! Triple Fusion Ability activate! Shoo Dragonfly, plus Geki Dust Barrier' plus Restu Lightning!"

"At least he knows his stuff," Julie complimented, seemingly overwhelmed by the long sequence of abilities. Others nodded in agreement.

Keith's eyes narrowed, as Hydron's hand started trembling, seeming as though just saying those orders took a lot out of him. Ace shot Keith a look, who gave him a similar glance back. Not a concerned look, but a slightly curious one.

Hydron's hand suddenly shot over to his shaking one, to stop the trembling. '_Keep it together_.' He told himself. '_I'm winning. I can do this_.'

"What are you looking at?" Hydron snapped suddenly.

"A pathetic excuse for royalty." Zenoheld retorted. "You bring shame to this family and the Dark Messiah's name. Farbros, Assail Formation!"

"Docking sensor locked on Farbros." the mechanical voice announced. "Take off!"

"That's no big deal." Hydron scoffed, though his eyes darted about nervously. After all, if your father that had just let you be tortured (right in front of him, to boot) just got teleported into a giant, intimidating, and threatening monster… Yes, well, it would make most people nervous.

"Engage, Farbros." Zenoheld declared from the cockpit. "Ability activate! Shadow Crowley!"

"Ability activate!" Hydron countered. "Accel Speed! That was way too close!"

'_He is running away again. He always runs away…_' Shun thought. Through his training, the ninja knew there were times to run, and times to fight. It seemed as though Hydron was too scared to fight, though he wasn't sure why; Zenoheld wasn't a very good battler. Hydron could have ended the battle a while ago, but he chose not to harm his father too much.

Of course, Shun didn't know the effect a father could have on a person; his father ran away when he was young, and his early years were spent worrying about his mother and fighting with Dan… And his grandfather with questionable mental stability wasn't someone that Shun would be scared to fight against…

But then his thoughts drifted back to that challenge…that one challenge that had wounded him and tested him beyond any test before… '_Mom…'_

"Gate Card, open!" Zenoheld declared, effectively jolting Shun out of his reverie. "Land Pressure! I'm afraid Dryoid can't move. I've manipulated the gravitational pull."

Runo glared at the screen, surprising those near her. "Can he even do that?!" It was obvious she was rooting for Hydron; most of them were, due to the fact that Hydron was the lesser evil.

"Curse you..." Hydron growled, having being effected by the Gate Card as well, as his body was brought towards the ground. The shaking started again, but it seemed mostly from the strain of Hydron's muscles. "Come on Dryoid! You can do it! Use your strength!"

'_You've always gave me strength. You've always made me feel better. You don't say anything, you aren't even alive! But you can feel me… Come on Dryoid! We strike _NOW!' Hydron thought, eyes staring intently at his Bakugan.

"Playtime is over with now," Zenoheld declared, smirking. Back in the control room, Mira's hand shot out to hold onto Ace's, though no one noticed. Their teeth grinded as they leaned forward to watch.

"Dryoid." Hydron begged, willing Dryoid to share his strength. Volt's and Lync's voices echoed in his mind, whispering promises of a better future. "I know I can win this." 'WE_ can win this…'_

"Tell me, have you had enough yet, little boy?" Zenoheld taunted.

"Enough!" Hydron snapped. "Be quiet! Dryoid and I will destroy you!"

"They aren't going to win…" Drago murmured, causing Dan to bite his lip.

'_When did I start rooting for the creep?'_Dan questioned himself, but he couldn't care less right now. It was just very important the ex-prince win.

"Come on then," Zenoheld said, sounding almost lazy. "Let's have it."

"Come on out, Dryoid," Hydron declared, though it sounded suspiciously like begging to the Resistance. "Deliver us out victory. Do you hear me? _You hear?!_"

"He can't hear you, kid," Draco whispered, as Dryoid remained immobile.

"Your attempt of courage is even more pathetic than I could imagined!" Zenoheld snorted. "Ability activate! Shadow Blast!"

"Why don't I introduce you my secret weapon?" Hydron challenged, though something was now definitely off. His eyes were wide, pupils impossibly tiny. A strange aura seemed to surround him. He was on the last vestiges of sanity. The personification of desperation. "Ability Card activate!"

"Ability Card, set." the mechanical voice droned.

"Gaia Reflector!" Hydron declared. "Hit it, Dryoid! This ability returns the opponent's ability, but with power three times stronger."

"It doesn't matter." Zenoheld shrugged. "Ability activate! Shiny Orichalcum!"

Keith cursed, under his breath. Hydron had been so close, and he almost made a comeback… But Zenoheld's monster of a Bakugan was too much for little Dryoid. '_And Hydron's loyalty to his father, was also too much…'_

"What the-" Hydron gasped before he and Dryoid were blown off by the energy wave.

The Resistance shielded their eyes, as the brilliant light filled the room. When the smoke finally cleared, the screen showed Hydron lying on the ground (yet again), only this time he had no intention of getting up. Even Dan couldn't mistake the obvious shaking of the boy's body, now.

"Hydron Life Force: Zero," the mechanical voice reported, signaling the end of the match.

Zenoheld appeared back on the field looking regal, unlike his fallen son.

"Perhaps, now we can both admit the truth." Zenoheld approached his defeated offspring, staring stonily at him. "You and I were never meant to be father and son."

Runo gasped, along with the others. '_How could someone say that to the child they raised?!' _she thought in shock.

"It's over." Hydron looked at Dryoid, knowing full well what would happen to him. "I lost it all."

Violet eyes stared hopelessly at his Bakugan was the last thing the Brawlers saw, before the monitor went dark.

Everyone in the room stared at the screen, before Julie broke the silence. "This isn't good. Is it." It wasn't a question, though Mira answered.

"No. Not good at all."

**_(\/) The Dungeons in the Motherpalace (\/)_**

Hydron shook as the pain he felt earlier was burning anew. He could barely keep his footing as the guards drug him along, through the cold dungeons.

Finally, he was gently helped to sit in his room-no, cell. One of the guards stood immediately, striding out. The other, however, leaned down and whispered, "Are you going to be all right?"

Hydron didn't give any sign that he heard the man; he just stared at the wall opposite his pallet. The guard sighed, before leaving, the electric gate humming to life.

Hydron stayed in the same position for several moments, shaking at the feel of electricity pulsing through the air.

"You blew it," he finally whispered to himself. "You fool! You lost_everything!"_

"Why are you sitting here?" Volt and Lync appeared again, effectively causing Hydron to jump to his feet, despite the shooting pain. He wasn't dreaming. And yet here they were. Again.

"You need to take down Zenoheld and take his throne," Lync added.

"Right now," Volt pestered.

"Go away!" Hydron shouted. His voice sounded hoarse and hurt. "Leave me alone! Get lost!"

He pushed through them, causing them to disappear. Hydron fell to the ground, arms wrapped protectively around his stomach. Despite his defeated position, his voice came out confident, determined.

"This isn't over," he swore. "Do you understand me?! I will destroy Zenoheld!"

In the cell next to him, a boy with long blue hair smiled.

**_A/N This, obviously, is the start of my original writing. No more using the show's words, now that I've got a feel for the characters. So yeah, this is going to be AU from now on. I will the next chapter soon._**

**_Also, I have been rather taken by the Hetalia fandom. So, I may write some for that. And since I like most of the characters from it, it should be great fun. And I also refuse to write Russia as the villain. Because he's not. He's my favorite character._**

**_Anyway, enough of that! Review, please! They give me the drive to update! Love you!_**

**_And thank you to my Random Person! You are like, the best reviewer ever!_**


	5. Chapter 4

_I want this to be real._

_I want to believe they cared._

_I want them to come back._

_But I know that's not possible._

_…__None of it is…_

_Why do I never get what I want?_

**_(\/) Dungeons on Mothership (\/)_**

It was hours after Hydron's little episode that he woke up. He wondered, or more hoped, I guess, that the events of the past day had been a dream.

Finally, he summed up the courage to open his eyes, though he regretted it immediately. Sure enough, he was still in the cold and damp dungeon, his clothes still rumpled from another bout with the blasted instrument of torture. The boy had no doubt that he looked horrible, especially after a night of tossing and turning on his metal cot.

Volt and Lync, sometimes even Mylene and Shadow appeared to him (in his dreams, of course...) urging him to escape and go after his father again. All the times they shouted, "_All hail Prince Hydron_"…it seemed unreal.

There were a few times when they acted as they normally did, however. Mylene and Shadow would argue, before Mylene would start ordering everyone around. Lync would complain, causing Mylene to call him a "_cry baby_". Shadow would then do something creepy; everyone would fight. Volt would shake his head, sometimes even smiling slightly.

Once, however, none of them acted like mindless Hydron-worshipping zombies or completely normal...

_Hydron had been lying on the cot, staring at the Vexos as they fought. He felt as though his innards had been sucked out of him, then crammed back in in some haphazard way. So, basically, like mush. _

_The pain was unbearable. _

_All of the sudden, they were there, right by his bedside. Mylene wiped his fevered brow, as Lync carefully checked his pulse. _

_"It's pretty fast. Is he gonna be all right?" the pink-haired boy questioned, looking at Volt. Normally stoic Volt looked concerned. _

_"I don't know. Hydron?" the red head questioned. The ex-prince's eyes rolled to look at his protector. Volt seemed to be talking to him, but what he was saying, Hydron knew not. Their voices were like drifting around him, warm and calming. Trying to understand them, however...it was like trying to catch fog. _

_"How do you feel?" Volt questioned again, sharpening his voice. Hydron opened up his mouth, trying to talk. _

_"I-I don't...h-how are you here?" Hydron's voice was rough, sounding like sandpaper against wood. Despite how horrible and confused he felt, he knew that it wasn't possible for them to be here. "You-you're all dead!"_

_The apparations stared at him confused. "Hydron...we aren't dead..." Lync looked scared, as he looked at the others. Volt and Mylene shared a look of concern, and even Shadow backed away a bit. _

_"I think he's finally lost it!" Shadow said loudly, causing Mylene to thump his head. _

_"Shut up, you idiot! Can't you see he's ill?!" Mylene growled. Hydron now knew for sure this was a dream. Mylene is never concerned!_

_"No! You're all dead! You're just haunting me! Leave!" Hydron screamed, climbing unsteadily to his feet. He beat his fists through the air, trying to hit his 'friends'. But they were gone..._

Hydron shook his head of the memory. They hadn't actually been there, so there was no use dwelling on it.

_'But...it _HAD_ been nice, them caring for me. Mylene had been like a nurturing mother...' _

Hydron burst out laughing.

The laugh wasn't happy, however. It was slightly insane, though there was a somehow ironic sound to it.

When the boy finally quit laughing, he breathed heavily, insane smile tugging at his lips.

"I have finally lost it."

"You can say that again."

Hydron jerked off his pallet, rolling onto the floor in shock. The metal contacted painfully with his tailbone, but he paid it no mind, as he whipped his head around.

There were no apparitions, though.

_'Was that voice in my head? Have I truly sunk so low?_' Hydron questioned himself mentally. He tugged a piece of his hair, before twirling it.

"He-hello?" The blond silently berated himself on how weak, how scared he sounded.

"What's up, Prince-y?" a deep voice returned. Hydron traced it back to his neighboring cell.

He couldn't see the inhabitant through the bars, despite the cells being connected. But Hydron could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Grav?!" Hydron shot to his feet, backing up against the opposite wall. His knees trembled.

'Holy Naga! The dead are truly rising!' Hydron thought frantically, as his legs finally gave out.

Gus emerged from the shadows, silky blue hair blowing, seemingly in a wind of its own. He leaned forward (as close as he would dare) to the bars.

"Well, well, well. How the mighty have fallen," the man smirked. Hydron climbed to his feet again, this time glaring at the bluenette.

"What the-you're supposed to be dead!" Hydron growled.

Gus smirked. It was too easy to get the boy riled up. "Well, obviously, Daddy's been keeping some secrets from his little puppy."

Hydron unconsciously shrunk back a little. Gus, seeing this, smirked wider.

"What is the little Pup doing down here, caged like a common animal? Chew up too many of Papa's shoes? Piss on the floor?"

Hydron had backed himself into a corner of his cell, eyes wide with horror and indignation at Gus's accusations. _'He thinks I'm nothing more than a common dog; so easily disposed of! How-how dare that underling!_'

Gus's face suddenly turned cold, and harsh. "Perhaps he finally took stock of your sanity, or lack-there-of!"

Hydron suddenly stood up (_when had he fallen again...?)._ "I am NOT insane! I'm NOT!"

Gus raised an eyebrow. "Denial-"

"I'm not denying anything!"

"You were talking to people who are DEAD!"

Hydron glared at Gus, across the bars. The boy was lounging comfortably on the metal mattress—or rather as comfortably as he could. His dull prison clothes were slightly torn and dirtied, and his hair looked greasy. The boy also looked as though he hadn't seen a decent meal in a while.

Hydron didn't look much better—in fact, he looked worse, having gone through so much recently. Gus's eyes softened slightly, though his face remained a mask if arrogance.

"Yeash, kid. What happened to you?" Gus questioned quietly.

Hydron's angry expression faltered for a second, before retorting, "Nothing!"

Gus rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Looks like it." He scooted over, sitting beside their shared wall. He tilted his head, slightly, green eyes curious. Hydron ignored him, going to lie down on his cot again.

Gus shook his head. "You are a stubborn ass, aren't you?"

Hydron didn't reply, for he had fallen asleep.

_The Vexos were standing around Hydron, looking worried. He wasn't in his cell, not anymore. He was surrounded by darkness, that was very bright...or something impossible like that. _

_"Hydron!" Lync shouted. _

_"Get away from that!" _

_"It's dangerous!"_

_The Vexos continued shouting warnings at him, but he couldn't see what was causing them to worry. _

_"Hydron! Get away! It-OH MY WAVERN-" Mylene screamed, recoiling. The other Vexos screamed in horror, before running—or rather floating—away. _

_"What are you talking about? Wha-" Hydron froze, as he caught sight of his hand. _

_His hand seemed longer, somehow older. His arm was larger too, and it had muscles! But...he wasn't wearing his clothes. _

_Red gauntlet gloves...? _

_The world started spinning, the swirling colors around him blending to an messy blob. _

_'What-what's going on?!'_

_Suddenly, everything was still. In front of him was a mirror, though it looked like a solid wall of water. The young boy floated forward, trying to see the face in the mirror. He couldn't see anything; the water-glass was rippling. _

_He leaned farther forward; perhaps if he could get closer, he could see-_

_He touched it. _

_Icy glass shards collapsed down on him, thrusting him into the purest kind of agony. _

_His body was being torn apart, blood pouring out of everywhere. His mind felt like it was imploding, from the pressure. And he was falling. _

_And falling. _

_And falling. _

_And screaming-_

"Aiiiyaaah!"

Thump.

Hydron blinked blearily, still half emerged in the nightmare. Finally, the world around him came into focus.

He was on the floor.

"Wha-?" Hydron questioned, rubbing his throbbing head. Violet eyes met green.

"Nightmares?" Gus questioned, raising an eyebrow, before checking an imaginary watch. "You were asleep for—what, five minutes?"

Hydron grunted, climbing unsteadily to his feet. His cheeks were colored bright, only partly from his wounded pride.

After he took a few hesitant steps, he collapsed again, breathing hard. Gus jumped, holding his hands up in shock.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there, kid."

"Don't give me such a degrading title!" Hydron snarled, trying to sit up. Despite his fierce, powerful expression, Hydron's body shook with fatigue. Being as stubborn as he was, however, he refused to give into his weakness.

The blond pushed himself up onto shaking arms, face determined. 'I can do this! Keep it together!'

He slumped to the floor, unable to keep upright any longer.

Gus bit his lip, unsure of what to do. "Uh, Hydron?"

The blond lay still, breathing deeply.

"Yo! Prince-y!"

Hydron sighed heavily, rolling over to face the bars. "What do you want, Grav?"

"Are you okay?"

Hydron laughed bitterly. "Just peachy."

There was a brief silence.

"How did you live?" Hydron asked, quietly. The boy seemed to have given up on trying to move back to the '_bed_', instead just trying to get comfortable on the floor.

Gus chuckled. "Well, I guess it was your father's doing. Last thing I remember was falling, then bam! I was in the dungeons..."

The older teen shook his head. "What about you? How did you go from being the King's lapdog to a mere mutt?"

Hydron frowned. "I...it's complicated."

Gus shrugged, glaring at their surroundings. "Well, we have plenty of time."

Hydron rolled over so his back was to Gus. "You missed the hint. I don't want to talk about it."

Gus shrugged. "Whatever."

The brunette's eyes, however, were drawn to the dark reddish stains on the ex-Prince's clothes.

"What happened to you, Hydron?" he sighed, quietly.

**_A/N This chapter was kind of random, with the dreams and all… Bleah, I have bronchitis. I feel drugged up and cough-y. Anyway, I think the next chapter will be back with the Brawlers, or with Alice… I don't really know yet. _****_J_**

**_And I must do another shout-out to Random Person (Guest). You are like, beyond awesome! My only reviewer, who just happens to have a wonderful obsession with this story. XD_**

**_Anyway, please follow Random Person's amazing example and review. _****_J_********_They make me smile insanely and laugh scarily. XD_**


	6. Chapter 5

_Suspicions are rising._

_Trust: it is falling. _

_Turn away, yonder!_

_Do not see me dying._

**_(\/) Kitchen at Resistance HQ (\/)_**

Keith couldn't get comfortable.

He was currently sitting in the kitchen, but he hadn't started out there. No—for the last three hours he had tried every possible position in his bed, trying to get to sleep.

But no—his body just wasn't tired.

And it was all Hydron's fault.

Keith sighed, putting his head in his hands. _'Why can't I get his face out of my head?!'_

It wasn't necessarily the boy's face, but more like...the fear, the blind hope, the determination... and the pain.

Oh, there had indeed been pain. Keith wasn't sure from what, but it was obvious that the Prince had been suffering from wounds; and not only mental ones either.

Mira had seen it too, Keith was pretty sure. She had seen the small grimaces Hydron thought he was hiding, and the shaking he had been trying to control. Oh yes, Hydron had obviously been in pain.

...but how? How had the pampered little boy come to be in that state?

Keith shook his head. Again.

'_Best not to dwell on it. We have more important things to be concerned about, right now.'_

It sounded harsh, but it was true.

You see, with all of the Vexos gone, Zenoheld would have to try new tactics. And those tactics most likely involved taking out the Resistance and their loved ones.

That was the reason that everyone started panicking after Hydron's battle against Zenoheld; they were scared that Zenoheld would send some Vestal warriors against them.

That was the reason Marucho had spent most of the afternoon pulling strings, trying to get all of the Brawler's friends and family into safe-houses.

That was the reason that they were all scared by the fact that Alice or Chan hadn't called them back.

Runo had gotten very jumpy and irritable at the last development, and everyone else distanced themselves. Shun had also mysteriously disappeared—which concerned Keith immensely, though he didn't know why, exactly.

He wasn't concerned for the Brawler's safety—no, Shun was the type that Keith concerned himself about for other reasons. Perhaps it was the fact that he and Shun seemed similar to himself, in some ways...quiet, suspicious, dangerous to an extent... Yes, they were very similar.

The fact was simple: Neither trusted the other. And that was another reason Keith couldn't get to sleep.

He wasn't sure what Shun could do that would be _BAD_; the gothic boy was on their side. Why would he suddenly switch over to the otherside—a side that wanted to hurt his friends and family _AND_ the entire planet, no less? Keith's suspicions were _COMPLETELY_ unfounded! But he felt them all the same.

Add that to his other conflicted thoughts about Hydron, his frustration at his father and Zenoheld, and the impending war...oh, how Keith was stressed.

He picked up Helios, rolling him in between his fingers, contemplating. There was so much to be worried about...Zenoheld and his father were obsessed with power, and Earth—admittedly—had a lot of power on it. Whether Zenoheld decided to conquer, enslave, or destroy the Earth...the outcome was not good...

The fact was, this wasn't only a game now...well, it hadn't been before, but still; things have suddenly escalated, to more than that. A full-on war, political issues...the whole shebang.

And they were a group of misfit kids going up against a powerful king and a bunch of mighty warriors.

Everything looked horribly grim.

**_(\/) Dungeons on Mothership (\/)_**

A slight clanging jolted Gus awake. The blunette stood up from the floor, stretching. After his back had let out a few painful pops, he looked around.

Hydron was still laying on the ground next to the barrier between their cells; he at least seemed to be sleeping soundly now.

Gus didn't like the prince—Naga, he would _NEVER_ like the prince—but seeing him so weak and vulnerable...perhaps it awakened some hidden '_big brother_' instincts within him (despite trying to remain an iceberg to everyone, Master Spectra had often talked about his protective instincts over Mira). The thought nearly made him laugh.

Gus looked away from Hydron, looking to see what had awoken him: A food tray.

Hastily, he went over to the tray, and began tucking in.

A moan from behind him caused him to pause; Hydron was waking up.

"Bloody...floor...father?" he murmured, sitting up, rubbing his sleep-glazed eyes. Hydron didn't look at all like the prince he used to be, with his grimy clothing, greasy and tangled hair, and deadened expression.

"What's going on?" Hydron asked after a minute. Gus raised an eyebrow, before eating the rest of his rations.

Having realised that there was a tray in his cell as well, Hydron stood—only wobbling slightly—before slouching next to the food.

The rations were small and unappetising, to say the least: A meat-broth stew, a chunk of stale bread, and a tin of steaming drink. Hydron scrunched his nose up slightly, trying to break part of the bread off.

"Ya' gonna eat 'at?" Gus questioned, some crumbs spewing from his mouth. His appetite now totally vanished, Hydron pushed the tray under the cell barrier. Gus started tucking into his meal as well.

"How can you eat that rubbish?" Hydron sneered, ignoring the strange feeling that twisted his stomach at seeing how hungry the blunette was (though he himself was not feeling up to par)...

Gus raised an eyebrow, wiping his grey sleeve across his mouth. "Listen kid: you haven't been here long, therefore, you don't know the habits of the guards."

Hydron sat up straighter. '_How dare that ignorant simpleton! The audacity of him, to say I know nothing of this place!_' (Hydron refused to admit he DIDN'T know a thing about the prison). "And what habits would those be, all-knowing one?"

Gus smiled grimly. "Light meals and heavy fists."

Hydron scowled at Gus, for the boy had caused the feeling to return to his stomach. It was so frustrating for many reasons, number one being he had no idea what that feeling _WAS_!

_'Is this guilt? But why would I be guilty?! I had no idea how the prisoners were treated, and I had no idea he was alive!' _Hydron pushed the thoughts of the_ 'if he WOULD have DONE something'—_had he known about the prisoners or Gus—from his mind.

'_Is this feeling something else entirely? Is it fear, anger, joy... Is it satisfaction that that traitor is finally getting what he deserved?' _

Hydron squeezed his eyes shut momentarily—barely long enough for Gus to glimpse the lost expression. When the violet eyes unclosed, curious green eyes were eyeing him almost warily.

Hydron merely looked away.

_**A/N I am soooo sorry for the delay! Honestly, I have been so busy, plus it didn't really seem like anyone (cepting for a few) were interested in this. If you want faster updates PLEASE REVIEW, or I will continue putting this on the back burner to other fics. Thank you for reading!**_

_**Please review!**_


	7. Chapter 6

_A love unending,_

_Empathy arising,_

_A mystery unfolding,_

_What are we to do?_

_**(\/) Somewhere in Russia (\/)**_

A lone figure strode inconspicuously down a cobblestone road. On either side grew houses and stores, whose doors were open to let in the gentle breeze. Though the temperature could hardly be considered hot—given the fact that it was supposed to be summer there—the air was fairly warm, and smelled strongly of grass and flowers.

The figure did not really blend in; they wore all black clothing, including a pair of long pants and heavy boots (no one around there would consider wearing such heavy clothing in the nice weather). The last oddity in the figure's looks was a green cloak that settled on their head.

No one questioned the person, nor stopped to inquire why they were walking about their town; truly, none really cared.

He soon left the town, walking up a gently sloping hill. On either side of the roughening road (for it was turning from cobblestone to gravel quickly), there bloomed several wildflowers. The figure paused briefly, before bending over and gathering a few of the beauties into his grasp.

Once that was accomplished, the person proceeded in their assent.

Not long after having picked the flowers, the figure came to a low wooden gate. It was nothing to speak of; just a rickety old fence, that stood guard to a cottage.

Cottage...it is not the right word to use. The place was wooden like the fence, and was obviously old. Surrounding the house were more flowers, though these seemed to have been planted in some semblance of order, with little paths weaving between the beds.

The figure hesitated at the gate, seemingly unsure whether they should enter or not. They were saved from making this decision, for a quiet—yet strong and elegant—voice rang out.

"Privet?" the voice inquired, though it lacked the accent most around those regions possessed.

The figure seemed unable to speak, for their frozen amber eyes widened slightly.

Upon hearing no answer, a girl appeared. She had a soft face with beautiful orange locks framing it. She wore work-stained clothing, and her cheeks were flushed from the heat; the figure's face—however barely exposed—softened slightly at the appearance of the girl.

"Can I help you?" she inquired, her voice friendly, though wary.

The mystery person seemed to regain their voice, as well as their ability to move. "Yes, I believe you can." They then yanked down the cloak's hood, revealing their face.

The young woman seemed baffled for a moment, before a bright and warm smile fell across her features.

"Shun!" Said boy gave a small smile, a bit of color working its way into his normally pallid cheeks (which only burned brighter, upon him being forced into a tight hug).

"Nice...to see you...too...Alice..." Shun grunted around her hair, shocked by the tight grip. He supposed the last time he had truly been around her much had been a while ago; she hadn't been faring too well then, either.

Upon realizing she was not allowing her companion to breath, Alice quickly retracted her arms, a bit of color painting her cheeks as well. "Sorry if I got your clothes dirty. I've been working in the garden."

Shun shook his head, wiping an uncaring hand over the dark clothes. "It doesn't matter. I'll just wash them later."

There was a silence that could definitely be considered awkward, before Alice finally unhinged the gate, gesturing for Shun to enter the garden.

"Your flowers are very pretty," Shun commented idly, unsure of what else to say.

Alice smiled amiably, nonetheless. "Thank you! I really love Russia in the summer, with all the flowers. Sunflowers are my favorite, but I always have troubles with growing them..." she shook her head, trying to make herself not ramble on too long on a subject that no-doubt bored her friend.

Shun, however, drank in every word (despite the fact his eyes stayed stony and his face stoic). "Sunflowers are pretty. I...um..." Alice stopped her slow pace to turn and face her stopped companion.

"Yes?"

"I...well, I remembered you mentioning sunflowers once. I...found some." At this admission, he thrust a few of the brown and gold flowers into her arms.

Alice looked from the flowers to Shun in shock. He, however, was avoiding her eyes.

"Why...thank you Shun! They're lovely!" Alice smiled brightly yet again, but there were other emotions swirling in her eyes besides pure bliss, now: Confusion (why was he here), worry (has something bad happened), as well as several others were present.

Shun merely shifted on his feet, shrugging slightly. "They were just on the way up here..."

Alice nodded, before continuing to usher Shun along. Eventually, they came to a small table, already garnished with a pitcher of lemonade and little snacks.

Once settled in the chairs, the silence remained unbroken; Alice continuously poured herself glasses, whilst Shun batted at an insistent bug.

"I...don't mean to sound rude, but why are you here?" Alice asked curiously. Truthfully, she wondered HOW he knew where she was in the first place—only Marucho knew her exact location...so she thought.

Shun—whilst Alice was musing—was caught in an internal battle of his own. 'What am I supposed to tell her? That after watching an alien prince battle his father, we—all of the sudden—believe everything to be unsafe, so I am coming here to take her away to some 'safe house' so she doesn't end up dead?' Shun shook his head, for the idea sounded idiotic, even internally.

He quickly decided on a much more...subtle approach.

"We—well, most of the Brawlers would feel much more secure with you near us...We tried sending Chan, but..." Alice tilted her head, a small smile gracing her lips.

"She gets lost. I know...Wait...You were all worried about me?"

"Marucho also tried contacting you recently, but you didn't pick up or call us back. Naturally, we were worried," Shun replied, all stoicism. Alice sighed.

"The power has been strange lately, what with the heat wave. Grandfather and I have been working on...other projects at the moment."

Shun grasped at the hesitation. "Do you mean the Alternative Data?"

Alice paused again, but it was brief. "That...and various other projects of sort."

Shun nodded, accepting her explanation...for now...

_**(\/) Mothership (\/)**_

"I don't care for the King's orders too much, but what can we do?" a masked guard with a nasal voice said, as he and the others on duty strolled down a long corridor. All were dressed in full regalia: Mask, armor, cape, and hood.

"Neva' liked th' 'rat. I'm a-sayin let 'im rot," another with a low, gurgling voice murmured. There were several hoots of agreement.

"I agree," said a third guard. This one had a more calm and quiet voice than the previous two. "But does King Zenoheld not feel anything about doing this to his son?"

The second guard shrugged. "Naga, I dunno. Maybe some-n-times 'go, 'e mighta."

The third tilted his head, as though curious. The first explained: "You're new about here, right?" The third nodded an affirmative. "Well, the king used to think the world of his son...but then a bunch of mysterious stuff happened around here..."

"Like what?"

"Bah! Too many questions!" the first exclaimed. "The king's wife died. 'parently, it changed him quite a bit."

"Ah," the third hummed. "So...he just doesn't care about his son any longer."

"Tu da king, 'ydron ain't 'is son no more," the second murmured.

The third seemed disturbed slightly, but he quickly shook himself. "Wow. Do you pity him? Hydron?"

This caused the two to pause.

"I...dun't believe what they's doin' tuh 'im is bein' right, if that'z what yer sayin'. Lock 'im up, sure, but none this otha stu'." the second admitted.

"For me...yes, I suppose I do..." the first said quietly and shortly.

The third strolled on with the other guards, his lips pressed together in thought.

_**(\/) Professor Clay's Lab (\/)**_

The strawberry-blond's fingers danced over the keyboard, typing in numerous codes. He had been (yet again) working on Farbros this morning, when there was indicated to him some...anomalies.

After several more minutes of scans and many a data analysis, Clay slammed his fist down in frustration.

"I just don't understand it! How am I getting these readings! It's impossible! Farbros is a Mechanical Bakugan!" he exclaimed aloud to himself. A couple guards passing in the hall glanced in, before rushing on.

Clay suddenly paused in his short tantrum. "Unless...but no! That's impossible!" Clay scrambled to the containment unit Farbros was floating in, before picking him up. He held him up to his critical eyes, lips moving of their own volition.

"What are you?"

**_A/N Hehe, so I have all the chapters planned out. FIFTY in all :P Lucky you! (To the apparently one person whom is reading this...) _**

**_Anywho, please review, or I will cause a meteor to change courses and blow up my story-writing device! _**


	8. Chapter 7

**_(\/) Resistance HQ (\/)_**

Dan yawned walking out into the kitchen. Normally, he would NEVER be up this early; however, with what had been happening as of late (as well as his desire for food), he decided to wake up early.

"What sounds good, Drago?" Dan questioned.

"I don't care, Daniel. Besides, shouldn't you be worried about other things?" the Bakugan questioned.

They entered the chrome-coated kitchen. "Like...?"

"Like," a different, more mature voice chimed in, "the disappearance of one of your teammates."

Keith looked dreadful, truly. His hair was flatter than usual, and ominous dark circles rested beneath his pale eyes. But the expression on his face...he was truly PISSED!

"Uh, what are you talking abo-"

"Shun disappeared yesterday. And he's still not back."

Dan knew that Shun had 'disappeared'—as Keith phrased it—but his long-time friend had always had a tendency to do that. Dan just figured Shun went off to brood, or whatever he normally did.

So Dan retorted, "So? He does that."

"For this long?" The brunette didn't answer. "Exactly."

"And what exactly do you think he's doing?" a feminine voice inquired. The two boys and Bakugan looked over to see a sleep-depraved Runo, looking almost as bad as Keith.

"I don't know. But you never trust people like Shun: Loners, quiet, like to wonder off..."

"Then are you saying we shouldn't trust you?" Runo questioned, nudging Dan aside. For once, he let her; she was much better at debates than himself.

Keith, however, paused at her question—though only briefly. "That is for you to decide, I suppose."

"And we have decided to trust Shun." Keith looked unsure. "Listen, we have all known him a lot longer than you. He's not just what he appears to be."

Keith shook his head; no one ever was.

"You'll just have to trust us, alright?"

Suddenly, an idea—an absurd, totally random idea—popped into the oldest boy's head. "Have you heard back from Chan Lee? The one visiting the Russian girl?"

Neither Runo nor Dan flinched at the sudden topic change—they did change their whole facade, though. In a split second, they went from being strong, leaders defending their friend...to being worried teenagers, worried about a different friend.

"Chan called Marucho. She couldn't find Alice's village, let alone her house," Dan murmured. Runo bit her lip.

"Do you think...?"

Keith raised an eyebrow. "Does Shun have any connection to the girl?"

"She was with our original team...Shun and her were always...I don't know really..." Dan said, unhelpfully.

"Shun and Alice liked each other," Runo sighed, causing Dan to gape. 'They liked each other?!'

"He probably went to her, then," Keith murmured, as if the world wasn't coming to an end.

"Whoa whoa whoa! They l-liked each other?! As in like-liked?"

Runo sighed, shaking her head.

Keith stretched, causing some uncomfortable-sounding pops.

"I will go retrieve them."

Runo glanced at Dan (who was still staring at her as though she had an arm growing out of her forehead) before saying, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why ever not?"

Runo sighed, heavily. "Shun is independent. Very independent. And when it comes to Alice...well, let's just say everyone will be better-off if we just let him do as he pleases."

Keith pulled on a sweatshirt, checking his gauntlet. "Allow me to be blunt: If we allow them to take their sweet-time in returning, they will be killed."

That snapped Dan out of his trance. "Shun is a good brawler and fighter-"

"Not good enough. These are fully-trained adults. Just trust me."

Runo and Dan shared a look—before looking away and blushing, that is.

"I will retrieve them and bring them back as soon as possible."

Dan nodded, looking rather serious. "Good luck."

**_(\/) Throne Room (\/)_**

King Zenoheld brushed his gloved hand against the stone wings of one of the Legendary Bakugan that his son had collected.

Just the thought of the brat made his stomach turn, what with how he betrayed him—The King!

"The little brat...doesn't deserve to be my son...stupid kid, with that blond hair and those eyes...those eyes..."

Briefly—very briefly—a woman's face flashed across his vision. A woman with long white-blond hair, a round face, and wide violet eyes...

Zenoheld's green eyes flashed dangerously. He reached into his pocket, feeling a large metal ball. He flung it into the middle of the large ballroom-esque floor, startling several of the nearby guards—especially when it turned into a dark and swirling portal, that seemed to bathe the room in a dark fog.

"Wha-what's happening?!" came a shout from one of the guards. Several other similar inquiries echoed around the room as well.

Then—as soon as it had started—the black hole vanished.

The Legendary Bakugan statues were gone.

**_(\/) Dungeons (\/)_**

Something clanged, jolting Hydron out of his semi-deep sleep. At once, he was off the metal cot, and crouched on the floor, shoveling the bland soup into his mouth as the broth dribbled down his chin.

After a week of practically starving (due to his rather picky eating habits, and the small and sparse meals), Hydron was willing to eat anything.

Once he made it to the moldy bread, the ex-prince noticed something...off...

He looked into the neighboring cell, noticing how Gus hadn't got up to eat yet.

"Grav? Are you awake?" Hydron asked stiffly. Something—NOT WORRY—was making him feel uneasy.

The blunette finally sat up, pushing the tangled strands from his face—his overly red and sweaty face.

Hydron frowned, before leaning over his tray again, scooping up the fallen crumbs. "Better hurry up and eat," he murmured.

Gus chuckled, stumbling over to his tray. However, he didn't devour it with his usual vigor—again, Hydron frowned.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, though he turned away. He had been aiming for a more...flippant tone, but it was obvious there was something more behind it.

Gus paused before answering. "I'm fine."

"Doubtful."

Gus made a very feral sound. "Shut up and eat your food."

Hydron whirled to face him. "Do NOT give me orders! I am royalty!"

"WAS royalty," Gus corrected.

Hydron stalked as close as he dared to their separator, about to lecture the boy on respect; however, when he caught a glimpse of Gus's glassy—and obviously ill—eyes, he snapped his mouth shut and turned to flop on the cot.

"I'm rather tired. Try to keep quiet."

Gus leaned back against the wall, observing his prison-mate.

'You are quite an enigma, Hydron. I only hope I'll be around long enough to figure you out...'

_**A/N Sorry for not updating! The Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler fandom has been bugging me. Same with Hetalia. And I reread the HP books... And I had strep throat...and I'm taking drivers ed...and AP world history...and I got a job. I know, excuses excuses. But I will finish all of my multichaps! *thrusts fist up into the air determinedly***_

_**Anyway, please review! **_


	9. Chapter 8

_I can feel myself fading away..._

_Like words on a page..._

_Will I ever see the light of day...?_

**_(\/) Dungeons (\/)_**

Hydron reached his hand through the bars—mindful of the electricity pulsing through them—and touched Gus's forehead.

Hydron's tough was feather-light and gentle—surprising, seeing as he had never been touched as such in a long time, and wasn't quite adept at '_kindness_'.

However, Gus Grav's current state had Hydron worried.

"I just don't want to be left alone. That's all. When I'm alone, darkness climbs into my mouth and poisons my veins," Hydron murmured to himself—though he wasn't aware he was even speaking.

Gus had been unconscious for nearly two days by then, and Hydron's state-of-mind had rapidly worsened. Where Gus looked horribly ill, Hydron looked similar to a person who had been locked underground for a rather extensive amount of time.

Hydron stood quickly, starting to pace. His teeth sunk into his bottom lip, and his fingers wrapped around his hair, tugging on the blood-stained strands that he hadn't pulled out yet.

"Volt. What do I do?" Hydron asked to no-one. He turned to see if the apparition of his—_NO! Not HIS anything!_—of Volt appear. No one was there.

"Grav you need to wake up. If you don't the worms will crawl on you. _DO YOU HEAR ME?!_" Hydron suddenly screamed, reaching though the bars again, to shake the boy. This only resulted in Gus groaning and murmuring something unintelligible.

Hydron's violet eyes widened, a brief flash of sanity darting across them. The blond whimpered pitifully, as he gently petted Gus's electric blue hair.

"My hands are evil. They destroy. They're teeth, I know."

Hydron wrapped his arms around his legs rocking slightly. He reached into the pocket of his loose pants, pulling out Dyroid.

"Do you see the darkness? It's everywhere. There is no light anymore. Just darkness."

Gus didn't stir.

Hydron laid down on the floor—much like how he had his first night in the dungeons—and watched the older boy's breathing...to make sure it didn't stop.

Gus's cheeks were bright red, in contrast with his hair. Hydron—in one of his morbid moments—had wished that Gus would remain like that; he found him rather pretty, with those two beautiful colors. Every once in a while, the green eyes would flicker open, showing how the whites had been over-taken by red veins.

"I don't want to be alone," Hydron whispered, touching Gus's sweaty face.

_'I need to snap out of this_,' Hydron thought, sitting up. _'Enough with this ridiculous sentiment. If I want to get out of here alive _AND_ sane, then I must get Grav better. But...how?! I am NO healer!_'

Heavy steps from down the corridor caused Hydron's eyes to slide back to the unfocused, near-animalistic violet he had been possessing as of late.

Hydron stood on wobbly legs, as he slunk towards the door to his cell. Sure enough, a couple guards were approaching.

With strength Hydron was surely incapable of under normal circumstances, he grabbed ahold of the nearest guard's neck, yanking him towards the cell. A few seconds later, the smell of burning flesh filled the air, accompanying a tortured scream.

The other guards immediately lept into action. One slashed at the boy's arms with his sword, but Hydron was numb to the pain.

"He is _DYING_! Get him _HELP! I ORDER YOU_!" Hydron screamed. Finally, he released the charred form of the guard, causing the man to immediately collapse in a smoking heap.

The remaining guards let loose yells of pure anger, before dragging the now-bleeding teen from his cell.

"You will pay, you little monster," the guard that had the sword whispered in Hydron's ear, causing the light hair to flutter. Hydron shuddered. "You just killed a dear friend of ours. He had a family you know. They will probably die now, without him to support them."

Hydron felt so ill, in that moment. He vaguely wondered, _'Is this what happened to Grav? Did he suddenly realize how he caused only despair?_'

But Gus didn't cause horrible things to happen, did he? It always seemed as though it was him—Hydron—that caused all this suffering.

**_"I promise; ONE day you will pay for all the pain and misery you've wrought upon the innocence of the WORLD!"_**

Volt had said that.

Hydron shivered once again.

"There isn't anything you can do to me that will hurt. I am numb."

The guard's eyes flashed. "Want to bet?" He leveled the sword to Hydron's eyes in a threatening manner. The blond tried drawing back into his cell, but his adrenaline was depleted and the guards' holds on him were too strong. The sword drew closer to his violet eyes.

"Would you be so high-and-mighty if you were stuck in eternal darkness?" Hydron's eyes widened, his will dissolving into thin air. "Oh yes. We hear you mumbling to yourself. Would this be the last fracture in your sanity before you break-"

"What is going on here?" a voice demanded. It wasn't rough or uncivilised. The man's tone suggested that he was of higher status than these mere Prison Guards.

Sure enough, when Hydron looked up, his eyes landed on the masked face of a Royal Guard. Hydron nearly gasped as his head was forced down into an awkward half-bow.

"Sir, we was merely dealin' out some punishment 'pon this twerp. He killed Seperi," the guard holding the sword gestured to the body on the floor.

The Royal Guard's mouth remained a thin line. "Seperi, if I remember correctly, was a worthless man whose talents lied in drinking and beating his wife. I doubt he will be missed." The Prison Guards exchanged glances.

"As for enacting punishments, that position falls to me." Hydron shuddered; this man seemed somehow-colder than the others, despite his less-harsh voice.

The guards looked like they were going to put up a fight, before they merely mumbled unintelligible words (curses), and walking away. Hydron kept his head bowed, as he struggled to remain standing. He was so weak...

"Come," the Guard spoke, setting a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. Hydron came willingly—it wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter. He glanced at Gus's prone form once more, before they turned the corner.

The dungeons were truly confusing; Hydron and the Guard wove a complicated route through the many corridors (most likely to disorient Hydron). Finally, they arrived at a metal door—solid metal, unlike the odd doors on the cells.

"In," the Guard demanded again, and Hydron started to comply silently, despite his brooding.

_'How dare a lowly Guard order me around!_' Hydron scowled at the floor briefly, before he froze in the entryway of the room.

There was no room! It was just darkness! Endless darkness, suffocating darkness! Was this it? Was Hydron to be tossed out into space, where he could not see or breath?

_'I will die! And Grav will too, won't he. All alone, because when you're alone you die. I must have died many times..._' Hydron thought wildly, still rooted to his spot.

If he would have looked up at the Guard, he would have noticed the slight frown that graced the normally impassive face.

However, Hydron was wrapped up in his own world. The boy had just reached a hand up and was digging his nails into his scalp, when the guard reached past him to set off the light-sensors.

Hydron jumped as the Guard nudged him in, shutting the door. Compared to the darkness of the lower dungeons, the brightness of the vivid-white room caused the boy to nearly-squint.

The blond looked horrible, what with his bloody, dirt-stained hair and body. The grey clothes hung off the boy awkwardly, and the arms were horribly torn and bloody now.

"Remove your shirt."

Hydron shuddered. Was he going to have that bloody machine beat him again? Only with no shirt to guard his torso from the blows? Hydron swallowed a few times, trying to get the bile that was creeping up his throat to remain inside.

"Now," the guard demanded. The boy quickly followed orders.

'_What if it's not the Agonizer? What if he has decided to use himself to hurt me? The Agonizer is more painful, true, but having this lowly Guard beat me...'_ He didn't complete the sentence, but it was obvious that what would truly be hurt if the Guard decided to do that...well, it was Hydron's pride.

_'Not that I possess any, anymore_,' he internally sighed. He was pulled out of his musings by the Guard, who had brought Hydron's still-bleeding arms up, and was having the boy hold them straight out.

"Keep them like that. I will return momentarily."

The door opened and shut. Hydron dared not move a muscle.

The room was near-empty—there was only a desk and a couple chairs in there, along with an ominous metal box upon the desk. Hydron licked his cracked lips, trying not to think about what was in the container.

After noting every detail of the room (not that there was much to take note of anyhow) he let his eyes rest on his arms.

The wounds were long and jagged, but shallow. However, with how disgusting and dirty the surrounding skin was...well, that could cause some problems.

He only hoped that he wouldn't suffer much longer, before death claimed him.

Hydron's eyes widened.

_'I don't want to die! What is wrong with me?!'_

His mind didn't supply an answer in time, for when the door clicked open, his mind seemed to blank.

The guard walked around to stand in front of him. Hydron felt his body betray him, as it shook involuntarily.

"Are you afraid?" The Guard's question was neither mocking nor harsh. It was just a curious question.

"No. Why would I be afriad of a lowly guard such as yourself?" Hydron stood up straight, looking up through the mask. Of course, he couldn't see through it, but the Guard looked uncomfortable all the same.

Hydron smirked. He could always pull on this mask of uncaring, near-sanity whilst he was near other people.

The Guard regained his composure. "I would be terrified, if I was in your position. I hold your life in my hands."

"But you won't kill me, because my father doesn't want me dead." The Guard frowned. Hydron smiled, proud of himself. "If he wanted either Grav or I dead, we would have been gone long ago. Obviously."

Hydron half-expected the guard to loose it, and beat him right then. However, the tall man merely smirked.

"You are an arrogant child, aren't you? Brilliant, but arrogant." Hydron frowned. This guard was manipulative, that's for sure. Hiding a compliment within an insult (_or was it the other way around?_); what was he playing at?

The Guard's face became stoic once again. "Close your eyes, but keep your arms up."

Hydron's arms had started to drop, seeming heavier than they actually were; the same went for the rest if his body. _'It must be the blood-loss_,' he reckoned, though the other neglect and abuse he had suffered as of late could also be contributing factors. He fought to raise his arms, but closing his eyes was all-too-easy.

There was a brief moment where nothing happened. Then he felt something cool rush over his arm. The relief the water—for what else could it be?—brought him was ridiculous. In that moment, he felt as though he had died and went to heaven.

But that's all it was. A moment.

Suddenly, pain worse than the Agonizer coursed through his arms. Hydron screamed, dropping to his knees. He felt the heat race through the cuts—not unlike a vicious poison. He started sweating, the salty drops raising down his face and body.

He collapsed totally on the ground, whimpering and breathing heavy.

Finally, he realised that the burning liquid had stopped, and he was no-longer in agony. He cracked his violet eyes open, only to find them rather blurry

"What...the bloody..." Hydron couldn't finish; he was breathing so hard. The Guard kneeled down beside the boy, an empty bottle of mead dangling from his fingers.

When Hydron caught sight of the alcohol bottle, he let loose a feral growl, awkwardly lunging at the guard.

"How...how dare...you...?!" Hydron demanded, blind with fury. Despite the fact that most of the man's face was covered by a large metallic mask, he was sure the he was raising an eyebrow.

"How dare I what? Clean your wounds and ensure they do not get infected?"

That caused Hydron to pause. He shakily sat up, vaguely realising that he was drenched in the water and alcohol on the floor, as well as his own sweat. He looked up at the Guard, rubbing one hand across his eyes to try and un-blur his vision.

"Why?" he asked, honestly confused.

The Guard's lips tightened, not answering. He turned and opened up the box on the desk, pulling some soft strips of fabric from it. With an ungloved hand, the guard gestured for Hydron to sit in one of the chairs.

When Hydron did that, the Guard quickly, but gently wrapped his still-weeping arms.

"Why?" Hydron questioned again. He knew he was on thin ice as it was...but who was he to not stomp on it, demanding attention?

The Guard paused, frowning. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"And your friend?"

"Seventeen," Hydron answered automatically, not realising he had admitted that he truly did care about Gus.

The Guard's frown deepened. "You are just kids..."

Hydron shrugged, an awkward motion, since the Guard's strangely-warm hands were setting on his arms, still. He pulled away. "So? What does that matter?"

"You are both ill, and have been woefully neglected here. You have suffered unimaginable torture, and the other boy is lying out there, dying as we speak. It's just wrong."

Hydron felt uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than he'd ever felt before. But it wasn't pain that was making him squirm in his seat—no. It was that oddly warm feeling that was working it's way through his body.

Hydron stood, turning towards the door. "Everything seems wrong anymore, at least to me. But others see the wrongs as rights. There is no one to say what is truly wrong, and what is truly right."

Behind the mask, Hydron had no-doubt that the Guard looked surprised at the boy's sudden flash of sanity...or maybe he wasn't sane, and that was why what Hydron said made no sense, and yet all the sense in the world.

**_A/N Oh, my Hydron! I just want to snuggle him! My baby! *Cries* And Gus! *Sobs* And this so-called "mysterious guard"...hmm...Any guesses?_**

**_Please review! Reviews=me TRYING to update faster!_**


	10. Chapter 9

_There was darkness,_

_And then there was light._

_And I felt scared—_

_Then, secure._

The Guard handed Hydron a new prison shirt; or, well, as new as it could be.

Hydron pulled it on over his head, frowning at how large it is, and at how eerily warm it was. And how the back had an uncomfortable sticky-wet feeling...

"To cover up the bandages," the Guard explained, laying his hand on Hydron's shoulder and walking him to his cell, ignoring the boy's half-inquiring glance.

As they walked, Hydron glanced up at the man, once again. As a prince, he had gotten pretty familiar with most of the members of the Royal Guard. However, he did not recognize this one, by voice or otherwise―granted, the only features he could really see of this man were his thin-pressed lips and a few silvery hairs.

When they made it to his cell, Hydron's eyes immediately went to Gus. He took a few deep breaths, before entering his cell. However, he felt the Guard slip something into his pocket.

"Wha-" the older man, pushed Hydron into the cell, slamming the door shut.

The blond growled indignantly, pulling himself up. "Bloody Guard..." However, when he turned to continue his rant, the man was gone.

Hydron huffed―briefly looking quite miffed―before going to sit in his normal spot beside Gus.

The blue-haired teen's fever had worsened, if that was possible. Hydron sighed, bowing his head.

_'Why do I feel this way―this...worry...about him? He is nothing! Spectra's little lap dog; a mediocre battler..._' Hydron sighed again.

Why DID he feel this way? Honestly, Gus and him had had no past really. And this little prison stint...

_'Is that what this is about? Have I felt some "connection" through this situation? It IS possible, I suppose..._'

Hydron shook his head, hating this confusion. He never used to feel like this: As though his life wasn't in his hands. Now, however, he felt his life spiraling out of control, along with his feelings and emotions. It was as though he was one of those puppets some traveling entertainers used to use―a Marionette―and his strings were pulling him in many directions at once.

It was dreadfully confusing indeed.

'_I want my life back―no, not even that. I want CONTROL over my life_.'

_'There is a way..._' a voice which sounded both like and unlike his voice hissed in his mind.

Hydron only considered the voice briefly, before smacking his head firmly with the palms of his hands.

"What am I thinking?" he whispered, jamming his hands into his pocket.

That's when he remembered the guard's actions

Hydron was careful―(glancing around to make sure no one was present)―as he silently slipped a small container from his pocket, a small scrap of parchment fluttering into his lap.

_For the sickness._

_Give a splash to your friend._

_Then drink a bit yourself._

_Good luck._

The note was written in curling handwriting―near calligraphy, in it's supreme elegance. Scribbled beneath the short note was a flower―no, a rose. A black rose.

Hydron shivered at the implications. Was the guard trying to help, or hurt them? Then again, would killing them off really be so bad?

Hydron firmly shook his head, determined to stay sane whilst he helped Gus.

He then picked up the bottle. It was rather small―only a few swallows worth of reddish-liquid full.

_'It must be some sort of medicine..._' he reasoned, quickly unscrewing the cap.

He scrunched his nose slightly holding the bottle away from him; it had a rather foul smell, resembling the liquor that was poured onto his arms. Despite this, however, he brought it to his lips, downing half the bottle.

Unfortunately, it's taste was as bad as the smell. Hydron winced, squeezing his eyes shut at the bitter-spicy flavor that permeated through the medicine.

It was an arduous task to force himself to swallow, but Hydron managed to do so. Immediately his stomach seemed to clench, doing flip-flops―the vile liquid obviously did not agree with him.

Hydron's face paled considerably, a few beads of sweat running from his hairline down his face, as though his body was trying to expel the "poison".

'_Come on, Hydron. Come on...Keep it together..._' Hydron thought to himself, before voicing those very thoughts. Unfortunately, he had to swallow several times, willing himself to not sick up.

"Come on...come...on..." Hydron curled forward, as though trying to retract into himself. The stomach cramps seemed to lessen in that position, and Hydron was able to calm himself enough to look up at Gus.

_'He...he needs my help..._' Hydron thought through his agony. _'Come on...come on...get up...'_

The blond finally sat up, though not without great struggle. He eyed Gus, unsure, before he carefully wove his arms through the fence, touching the bluenette's flushed face. Then―with a shaking hand―Hydron placed the bottle up to Gus's lips, letting the liquid trickle into his mouth.

Gus's reaction was instantaneous. The boy's eyes flew open, showing off the near-glowing red that had overtaken them, along with his enlarged pupils. You couldn't even see the green.

Hydron quickly jerked back his hands, scooting back a few paces from the gate. "G-Grav...?" Would Hydron have not been so terrified and confused, he would have felt embarrassed by the slight stutter that escaped him.

However―circumstances being as they were―Hydron just felt a whole bunch of different emotions, as he watched Gus struggle to breath. The boy knew the logical decision would be to crawl forward and help the boy (_his friend_?)...or would the logical decision be to just leave the boy to his fate (_all Grav would do is betray him, eventually_)?

Perhaps it was due to the physical strain, which Hydron wasn't able to decide either way―for at the moment, the blond passed out.

_There was darkness all around—it was shifting, like a never-ending nightmare._

_And something…something about it felt dangerous._

_Hydron brought his legs up to his chest, curling up in a ball—the world was so empty, and here he was: just suspended mid-air…_

_Suddenly, he felt something in his hand shift, slightly. He jumped, but pulled his hands up to his eye, nonetheless. He peaked through the crack-_

_And inside was a bright and shining light, like his own tiny star…_

_But it was stuck. It was caged within his hands. He wanted to set it free…_

_Hydron thrust his arms out, his palms opening up, pushing the star out into the darkness, liberating it-_

_The explosion was unexpected._

_The star exploded, it's light reaching out and surrounding Hydron, filling up the horrifying darkness with light._

_And Hydron was afraid—if only for a moment._

_But then he felt another emotion overwhelming that fear. He wasn't totally sure what that emotion was; it was something he wasn't entirely used to._

_He felt…safe…and secure…_

_The light didn't try to crush him and suffocate him as the darkness had…it wrapped him up in a comforting embrace…_

Hydron didn't jerk awake, which was pretty abnormal. Instead, his eyelids fluttered open, and he felt better than he had in a long time.

He was worried that if he sat up and looked around, it might disrupt the bubble of peacefulness and calm that surrounded him.

However, when he heard some shifting in his neighboring cell, Hydron quickly rolled off his cot, turning around to look at Gus.

"Morning, sleepy-head."

Hydron gaped at the bluenette. Granted the boy didn't look very well-off yet, he was AWAKE, and his eyes were not red any more.

"You…you're awake…" Gus raised an eyebrow, a rather tired smile, gracing his lips.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Obvious."

Hydron swallowed, though his throat seemed to be…not working correctly. He brought a hand up to his hair, running it through the dirty blond strands, before he started twirling that one strip of hair.

"You look confused," Gus observed, pulling himself up to lean against the wall. He pushed his own hair away from is face, revealing how dirty the once-vibrant hair had gotten.

Hydron sighed heavily, sitting down beside Gus. "I'm not. I'm…I suppose I'm…happy, that you're alright…"

Gus laughed, and it was only then that Hydron became aware of how much he had missed the sound.

"Don't strain yourself, Hydron. Wouldn't want people to think that you can actually feel emotions!"

Hydron smiled slightly, but remained silent.

Gus cleared his throat, before he murmured, "Aren't you going to eat that?"

Hydron looked at the boy confused, before he noticed the empty tray in Gus's cell. Immediately, he was crouched over his own, devouring the disgusting trash…

Only it wasn't disgusting trash—not today. No; it had flavor, and there was no mold on the bread. And there seemed to be also—dare he say it—bigger portions!

Hydron glanced at Gus, whose face showed the confusion Hydron was feeling.

"Mine was like that too," he murmured. "Did I miss something when I was asleep?"

Hydron wiped his sleeve across his mouth. He briefly considered telling Gus about his little "_episode_", and the subsequent meeting of that mysterious guard…

But Gus had enough to worry about—he didn't need to get worked up over Hydron's problems.

'_Plus_,' Hydron added mentally, albeit reluctantly, '_I don't know how I would feel if Gus didn't act worried about that stuff…if he just brushed me off…_'

Hydron shook his head. "Nothing happened, that I can think of…but…" He leaned as close as he dared to the gate separating them. "We need to get out of here, and soon…" he whispered.

Gus's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "And you've came to this very dangerous conclusion, because…?" It wasn't like Gus hadn't had similar thoughts, but this was a very high-profile part of the dungeons—this is where all the extremely dangerous and hated criminals are kept. Not only would it be hard for one of them to escape, but for both of them (who were not in very good health as it was) to escape…well, it seemed impossible.

Hydron looked down at his lap, his fingers tugging on a loose thread. "You know…we won't be able to last much longer under these conditions…it was a miracle…" Hydron shook his head, tugging on that piece of hair. "We just need to go. You know this," he whispered.

Gus did know. He knew that if they didn't escape the dungeons, they would probably…he didn't want to think about that.

Gus bit his lip, checking to make sure no Prison Guards were patrolling outside their cells. "How then?" he whispered, leaning towards their shared wall.

Hydron frowned, looking down at his hands, seemingly in thought.

Gus jumped when Hydron suddenly exclaimed "Of course!" The blond reached into his pocket pulling out Dryoid.

Gus immediately caught on. "It might work…"

Hydron took a deep breath, holding Dryoid almost reverently. "It _has _to. It's all we've got…"

Gus nodded, pullingVulcan from his pocket.

Hydron stood up, facing Gus. The bluenette gaped at Hydron, once again baffled by the enigma that was the former Prince of Vestal.

"You mean _NOW?"_ Gus questioned, his unease continuing to grow.

Hydron nodded, rather frantically. Gus suddenly became aware of how…wrong Hydron looked. Hydron used to be aloof, detached—the type of person that radiated confidence. No one would ever question his sanity, because there _WAS _no question of whether or not the prince was sane; he just _WAS._

Now though…Hydron was insane, no doubt about it. There was the hair that was bloody, and ripped out in places. There were the random twitches, that Hydron himself didn't notice when they overcame his body. Then there were the eyes: How they shot out of focus, his pupils growing and shrinking too fast…

But when Hydron nodded in answer to Gus's question, the former prince looked at him in such a way, that Gus was sure that Hydron knew exactly what he was doing.

Gus swallowed, slowly standing up.

The two boys stood, facing each other for a while, green eyes staring into violet.

Hydron cradled Dryoid in his hand briefly, the callused tips of his fingers running over the ridges and smooth skin of the Bakugan.

And perhaps it was his imagination, but…did Dryoid just give his fingers a comforting nudge?

"Bakugan Brawl!" screamed two voices simultaneously, before a loud explosion shook the whole palace.

(\/) Main Corridor (\/)

"Go! Dryoid!" Hydron shouted from his Bakugan's shoulder. Hydron's eyes were impossibly wide, as he urged his Bakugan forward. There were countless guards shooting their weapons, trying to stop his and Gus's escape.

He glanced back at Gus, who was right behind him. Gus was gripping onto Primo Vulcan, probably with every bit of strength he possessed.

'_We need to hurry. This adrenaline will only last for so long…' _Hydron thought, though his face was determined.

'_We are going to make it…'_

Dryoid got blasted with several of the odd weapons at once, causing him to jerk sideways into a wall. Vulcan rushed ahead, and Dryoid quickly got back on track.

"Come on! We're almost there!" Hydron shouted, though he doubted anyone could hear him, what with all the alarms and shouting that was going on.

Just as Vulcan burst from the palace—causing dust and debris to cloud the air—a large red…something, hit Dryoid, causing him to hit the ground.

He didn't get back up; in fact, he morphed back into his ball-form.

Hydron groaned pushing himself up to his knees. Through the smoke, he saw Vulcan—Gus on his shoulder—hesitate.

"Go! Go!" Hydron screamed hoarsely. He scooped up Droid, about to toss him again, when a large hand wrapped firmly around his neck.

"Naughty little boys deserve punishment, do they not?" Kind Zenoheld questioned darkly, his voice seeming—dare Hydron say it—amused.

"Let me go! I have been punished enough!" Hydron screamed, defiant to the end.

Zenoheld raised an eyebrow.

"You thought that was punishment?" Zenoheld pulled a metal ball—that was terrifyingly similar to something Hydron had used before—from his pocket. "Oh, my dear boy. Your punishment has only just begun!"

With that, Zenoheld tossed the ball; Hydron was not-at-all surprised when—after a few seconds—he found himself falling through a void.

_And there was only darkness._

**_(\/) Somewhere in Russia (\/)_**

Alice smiled at Shun, over the picnic basket they had put together. "Are you excited to try real Russian cuisine?" she asked

Shun rolled his eyes, though a very small smile graced his lips. "A bit worried…but excited, I suppose."

"Great!" Alice beamed, before her eyes suddenly went glassy. Shun looked at her, concerned—especially when she frowned, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"What's wrong?" he inquired.

Shun's voice seemed to shake her out of her stupor, for she smiled. "Nothing. Ready to go on a picnic?"

Shun frowned, before murmuring, "I suppose…"

**_A/N Hope y'all liked the chapter! I bet you all are just celebrating that Gus is OK (whilst me and one other person celebrate then cry for Hydron). XD Anyway, this is, like, probably one of the longest fanfic I've ever done, just FYI. So reviewing is like, LOVE to me!_**

**_Any more guesses on who the guard is? I forget when I reveal his identity, and I am too lazy to check XD_**

**_In other words, please review!_**


End file.
